Gas lift well production apparatus



Jan. 14, 1969 c. B. COCHRAN 3,421,449

GAS LIFT WELL PRODUCTION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 11, 1965 Sheet 4of 5 7' Z 0:14 flue s M ATTORNEYS Jan. 14, 1969 c. B. COCHRAN 3,421,449

GAS LIFT WELL PRODUCTION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 11, 1965 Sheet gof 5 Jan. 14, 1969 c. B. COCHRAN 3,421,449

GAS LIFT WELL PRODUCTION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 11, 1965 Sheet 3of a 52m 2 5 2a m a", aw 7 COQI/RAN fly 13% gfioza. 1 (4414- ATrokA/Q's1969 c. B. COCHRAN GAS LIFT WELL PRODUCTION APPARATUS Sheet 4 of 5Original Filed Oct. 11, 1965 //////l /f/] III Jan. 14, 1969 C. B.COCHRAN GAS LIFT WELL PRODUCTION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 11, 1965lll/l/llll/l/l/ll///llllll/II/lIII/l/j/j'll/l/ll-I///// Sheet ,Q of 5147' TOR/MEX? United States Patent 3,421,449 GAS LIFT WELL PRODUCTIONAPPARATUS 'Chudleigh B. Cochran, Houston, Tex., assignor to Cicero C.Brown, Houston, Tex.

Original application Oct. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 494,686, now Patent No.3,373,816. Divided and this application Oct. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 674,294

US. Cl. 103-233 2 Claims Int. Cl. F04f 1/12 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREApparatus for insertion in a well bore or casing for the production ofwell fluids by the use of gas injection. The invention includes a novelsystem utilizing injector type tubing inserted into the well from aspool or the like, with gas lift valves attached to the tubing duringinsertion thereof into the well.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 494,686, filedOct. 11, 1965, now Patent No. 3,373,816, by the same inventor.

This invention relates to apparatus for installing gas lift valves in awell, and more particularly, to apparatus for installing such gas liftvalves in a well by using injector tubing.

The use of gas lift valves in the production of oil and other fluids iswell known. For example, see Lester Charles Uren, Petroleum ProductionEngineering, Chapter III, pp. 158-214 (2nd Ed., McGraw-Hill BookCompany, Inc.). Gas lift valves are conventionally interposed in jointedproduction tubing and may be utilized to produce a formation fluideither through the production tubing or through the annulus between thetubing and the casing.

During the installation of gas lift valves by conventional methods andwith conventional equipment, it is necessary to make up joints of tubingwith gas lift valves interposed at desired intervals. Since many wellsare quite deep, a great deal of time is consumed in making up the jointsof tubing and interposing the valves. If valves are to be serviced afterinstallation, it becomes necessary to either Withdraw the tubing fromthe well with work-over equipment or to use a wire line rig and run therisk of breaking the small diameter wire in the well and having to fishout the lost portion. The workover equipment needed to effectinstallation and withdrawal is necessarily bulky and expensive, and thetime requirements compound the expense.

One apparatus for injecting a continuous length of tubing into a well istaught in US. Patent No. 3,116,781 issued J an. 7, 1964, and entitled,Apparatus for Completion and Working Over of Wells.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide novelapparatus for installing gas lift valves into a well without thenecessity of making up a plurality of joints of conventional tubing.

Another object is to provide apparatus for installing gas lift valves ina well which do not require the use of expensive conventional work-overequipment.

Yet another object is to provide a faster system of completing a wellfor gas lift operations, and once completed, for pulling and servicingthe valves.

Still another object is to provide apparatus for completing a well forgas lift without complete disassembly of well head equipment such as aChristmas tree.

An additional object is to provide apparatus permitting the attachmentof gas lift valves to a continuous length of tubing.

3,421,449 Patented Jan. 14, 1969 The inventive method as claimed in theaforesaid Ser. No. 494,686 may be generally described as a method ofinstalling gas lift valves and appurtenant tubing in a well whichincludes the steps of inserting through a well head a length ofsubstantially inflexible tubing which is fed into the well from a reelof tubing proximate the well head; attaching a body to the tubing whichcarries a gas lift valve adapted to communicate with the tubing; andfeeding an additional length of tubing into the well to position the gaslift valve at the desired depth.

Briefly stated, the apparatus of this invention is in a gas lift wellproduction system comprising the combination of a length of injectortype tubing arranged for supporting in a well to be produced, at leastone gas lift valve, means for attaching the valve to the tubing duringinsertion thereof into the Well, and conduit means for conducting gasbetween the interior of the tubing and the valve while the valve issupported in the well by the tubing.

Typical apparatus of the invention may be described as a clamp havingpivotally mounted tubing encompassing members which permit the clamp tobe opened, placed about the tubing and closed thereabout. Means arecarried by the clamp for securely fixing the clamp about the tubing andmeans are also provided for mounting a gas lift valve on the clamp topermit communications between the gas lift valve and the tubing.

To be more specific, reference is now made to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a well with injector tubing insertedtherein.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing a severedlength of injector tubing which has been suspended in the well to permitattachment of a gas lift valve by interposition.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 which illustratesinjector tubing containing a plurality of interposed gas lift valves.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but additionallyillustrating the connection of the tubing to a gas source and thepacking elements which seal the tubing within the well.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a mandrel which is adaptedto be interposed in a length of injector tubing.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view in elevation of one embodiment of an apparatus whichpermits connection of :a gas lift valve to a continuous length oftubing.

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the FIG. 7 embodiment rotated clockwiserelative to a plan view of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along line 1010 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a well illustrating a plurality ofthe apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 7-10 which have been attached to alength of injector tubing.

FIG. 12 is a partially cutaway view 'in elevation of an alternativeembodiment of the invention which in many respects resembles theembodiment illustrated by FIGS. 7-10.

Referring now to FIG. 1, in particular, a well is generally providedwith surface structure such as a well head 1 which is mounted on casing2 and from which depends production tubing 3. A plurality of suitablyvalved flow lines 4 may communicate with the tubing and, typically, theannulus between the casing 2 and tubing 3 can be communicated withexternal surface equipment through suitably valved conduits 5. Theannulus between the casing 2 and tubing 3 is typically packed off by apacker 6 so that any fluids entering casing 2 through perforations 7therein may be produced through production tubing 3. The perforations 7,of course, communicate with the producing formation 8.

When the producing formation 8 discontinues production under naturalenergy it becomes necessary to apply external energy and it is with asystem of applying such energy that this invention is concerned. Thatsystem of supplying external energy is, as has been mentioned, the useof gas lift valves. To feed tubing and the gas lift valves to beattached thereto into the well, an apparatus 9 such as taught in US.Patent No. 3,116,781 issued Jan. 7, 1964, and entitled, Apparatus forCompletion and Working Over Wells is positioned proximate the wellhead 1. Apparatus 9 includes means (not illustrated) for driving drum 11so that the injector tubing 12 carried about the drum is fed into wellhead 1, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The end of injector tubing 12 is closed by any suitable method and whena desired length of tubing 12 has been inserted into tubing 3, asillustrated in FIG. 2, slips 13 are seated against frusto-conicalshoulder 14 for grippingly supporting the injector tubing 12. Tubing 12is severed thereby forming ends 15 and 16 between which is interposed amandrel 17 equipped with a conventional gas lift valve 18. The detail ofconduit 17 with attached gas lift valve 18 is better illustrated in FIG.5, to which reference is here made.

In FIG. 5, the mandrel 17 includes a conduit 19 which at both ends isprovided with identical structure, and for convenience, like parts ateach end will be given the same reference numerals and the structure atonly one end will be described. The upper end of conduit 19 has securedthereto by any conventional means an externally threaded collar 21.Collar 21 defines a cylindrical recess 22 which has a greater internaldiameter than the outer diameter of tubing 12 to which conduit 19 isaflixed. Recess 22 receives an annular sleeve 23 which is provided witha radially extending flanged portion 24, which abuts the correspondingshoulder 25 of collar 21. Sleeve 23 and collar 21 define therebetween anannular space within which end 16 of tubing 12 is received. Disposedabout tubing 12 is an O-ring type seal 26 above which is carried anannular washer 27.

Also placed and spaced about tubing 12 are a plurality of slips 28, asparticularly illustrated in FIG. 6, which have oblique outer surfaces 29that taper radially inward toward the tubing 12 oriented end of thecollar 21 as illustrated. Carried about slips 28 is an annular slip ring31 provided with a mating oblique surface 32 which also tapers radiallyinwardly toward the tubing 12 oriented end of collar 21. To permit slipring 31 to be forced downward to drive slips 28 into engagement with end16 of tubing 12 and thereby fixedly secure end 16 between slips 28 andsleeve 23, tubing 12 loosely carries an annular connector 33 providedwith threads adapted to mate with the threads on collar 21. Connector 33has a recess 35 which terminates in a shoulder 34. As collar 21 isthreadably engaged with connector 33, by relative rotation, the slips 28will be driven into engagement with end 16 of tubing 12. Sleeve 23serves as a supporting element to prevent collapse of end 16 as slips 28move radially inward. While tubing 12 is substantially inflexible, itnevertheless is flexible to a degree to permit feeding from drum 11 andcould collapse radially inward if too great a pressure was applied.

As slips 28 move radially inward they will move downward to some extentcausing washer 27 to deform O-ring type seal 26 to insure an adequatefluid seal between c-onduit 19 and tubing 12.

Conduit 19 intermediate its ends carries a lug 36 and brackets 37 and 38which support a conventional gas lift valve 18. Typical of valves whichmay be used are the Maccd valves illustrated in the 1964-65 CompositeCatalog of Oil Field Equipment and Services, pp. 3032- 3035. Valve 18communicates with the interior of tubing 12 through a recess 39,passageway 40 and aperture 41.

To attach mandrel 17 to tubing 12 by interposition, mandrel 17 ispositioned between ends 15 and 16 which are inserted at their respectiveends of mandrel 17 between sleeves 23 and slips 31. The collars 21 andconnectors 33 are threadably engaged, as described above, thus securelyinterposing the mandrel 17 and gas lift valve 18 in tubing 12.

Once mandrel 17 has been interposed in tubing 12, slips 13 may beremoved from well head 1 and an additional length of tubing 12 fed intothe well. Should it be necessary to interpose other mandrels 17, theslips 13 are again placed in well head 1 and another mandrel 17 with gaslift valve 18 is interposed as described above.

As particularly illustrated in FIG. 3, a plurality of the mandrels 17may be interposed. Once the desired num ber of mandrels 17, at thedesired spacing, have been interposed in tubing 3, slips 13 are set andpacking elements 42 are sealingly set in well head 1 by threadableengagement of sleeve 43.

The tubing injector apparatus 9 is removed and tubing 12 is coupled to asource of pressurized gas 44. Gas lift valves 18 then function in aconventional fashion to aid production of formation fluid through theannulus between injector tubing 12 and production tubing 3.

Another, and presently more preferred, embodiment of apparatuspermitting attachment of a gas lift valve to the injector tubing 12 isillustrated in FIGS. 7-10.

The alternative apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 7-l0 includes a clamp 45having arcuate tubing encompassing members 46 and 47 which are pivotallymounted by a pin 48. Pin 48 passes through registering hinge portions 49and 51 of members 46 and 47, respectively.

Members 46 and 47 are securely fixed to tubing 12 by means of Allenscrews 52, or the like, which threadably engage member 46 moving themembers 46 and 47 radially inward. Member 47 is provided with a scoredsurface 53, as particularly illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, forgrippingly engaging tubing 12.

Clamp 45 is provided with an integral lug 54 and brackets 55 and 56Which retainingly receive a conventional gas lift valve 57, such as theMacco valves referred to above. Lug 54 is provided with a recess 58which through passageway 59 and aperture 61 in tubing 12, permitcommunication between the gas lift valve 57 and the interior of tubing12. To assure a seal between the clamp 45 and tubing 12, member 46carries an imbedded circular resilient seal 62 which has a curved faceto assure engagement with the exterior of tubing 12.

To attach the clamp 45 to tubing 12, a portion of tubing 12 is run intothe well head 1 as illustrated in FIG. 1, the end of tubing 12 beingclosed. An aperture 61 is drilled in tubing 12 at a desired spot and themembers 46 and 47 are pivotally opened and placed about tubing 12. Whenpassageway 59 has been registered with aperture 61, the members 46 and47 are pivotally closed and fixedly secured to tubing 12 by threadableengagement of screws 52. An additional length of tubing 12 may be fedfrom drum 11, and when a desired length has been reeled from the drum,another aperture may be drilled in tubing 12 and another clamp 45attached.

FIG. 11 illustrates a length of tubing 12 to which a plurality of theclamps 45 have been attached.

Once a desired number of clamps 45 have been aflixed, as illustrated inFIG. 11, the well head 1 is packed off as described before and tubing 12is connected to a source of pressurized gas.

Another, and presently most preferred, embodiment of the invention isillustrated in FIG. 12. In FIG. 12, two clamps 63 and 64 are provided.Clamp 63 includes arcuate tubing encompassing members 65 and 66 whichare pivotally mounted by pin (not illustrated) in much the same manneras members 46 and 47 of the previously described embodiment. Clamp 63through member 66 retains the top of gas lift valve 68, the bottom ofwhich is carried by member 69 of clamp 64. Clamp 64, like clamp 63,comprises members 69 and 71 pivotally mounted by a pin (notillustrated).

Member 69 of clamp 64 retainingly receives the gas lift valve 68, andthrough the recess 74 and passageway 75 therein, permits the gas liftvalve 68 to communicate with the interior of tubing 12 through aperture61.

The FIG. 12 embodiment is assembled on tubing 12 in much the same manneras the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-10, except clamp 63 is fixedlysecured by screws 76 after passageway 75 has been registered withaperture 61 and clamp 64 has been secured to tubing 12 by similarengagement of its screws 76.

A plurality of the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 12 may be used in thesame manner as was described in connection with the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 7- 10. The well head 1 is packed off in thepreviously described manner and tubing 12 communicated with a gassource.

While the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 7-10 and 12 utilize a hingeas a means for mounting the tubing encompassing members, various othermeans may be employed. For example, the two members may be joined by adovetail type connection or another suitable mechanical expedient.

Because in a typical well the spacing between gas lift valves may be 700feet, it is less time consuming and more economical to feed substantiallengths of continuous tubing into the well and apply gas lift valves asdesired than to make up conventional joints of tubing between which areinterposed mandrels carrying gas lift valves.

By use of the apparatus of the present invention gas lift valves may beattached rapidly and at desired intervals. With the preferred embodimentof the invention, it is not even necessary to sever the tubing to attacha gas lift valve. As will be obvious from the above, the inventiveapparatus may be used to produce through tubing 12 rather than throughthe annulus between tubings 12 and 3.

While rather specific terms have been used to describe severalembodiments of the methods and apparatus of the present invention, theyare not intended nor should they be construed as a limitation on theinvention as defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gas lift well production apparatus, the com bination comprising:

a continuous length of injector type tubing suspended in a well to beproduced, said tubing having a plural ity of ports through the wallthereof at vertically spaced apart intervals;

a plurality of gas lift valves supported by said tubing, with one saidvalve being associated with each of said ports;

a bracket arranged for connecting each of said valves to said tubing,each of said bracket including a pair of clamp members pivoted about avertical shaft means and arranged for clamping about and frictionallyengaging the outside surface of said tubing adjacent one of said ports,means for connecting said valve to said bracket, a passagewaycommunicating between said valve and said port, and seal means forsealing between said passageway and said port with said seal means beingheld in seal ing engagement as an incident to the clamping 01 said clampmembers about said tubing;

whereby said valves may be connected to said brackets and said bracketsattached to said tubing during insertion of said tubing into said wellby pivotally closing said clamp members about said tubing to therebysealingly couple said valves with said ports.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1 including:

means connected to said clamp members for controlling the extent offrictional pressure applied to said tubing by said clamp members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,710,937 4/1929 McCarty 103-233X 1,744,361 1/1930 Carlisle 103-232 2,144,144 1/1939 Crickmer 103-2322,251,244 7/1941 Stanley 103-232 X 2,323,893 7/1943 Boynton 103-232 X2,342,301 2/1944 Peters 103-232 X 3,116,781 1/1964 Rugeley et a1. 72-160DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. WARREN J. KRAUSS, AssistantExaminer.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 103-232

